Meanwhile, a new hourly Sunday service between Birmingham and Shrewsbury has been introduced, calling at all stations between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.

And at night, trains to Shrewsbury are set to continue to depart Birmingham until about 22:30 on weekdays and 23:00 on Saturdays.

"I can’t emphasise enough what fantastic news this is for Shrewsbury and the whole of Shropshire," said Shropshire Council's director of place, Mark Barrow.

A more frequent service plays into exactly what we are trying to do in Shropshire by showcasing what we have and supporting businesses. Shrewsbury has 6.2m people living within an hour and a half of it and we want more day visitors - this feeds into all of that."

Mark BarrowShropshire Council

Posted at13:1523 May

Officers seek car after boy shot in head

Officers are trying to trace a vehicle after a teenager was shot in the head in Wolverhampton.

BBC

A 16-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound in Gaiseley Street, Pennfields on 6 May.

He remains in hospital in a serious condition.

Anyone who may have seen a white BMW X1 in the area is urged to get in touch with police.

Two boys, aged 15 and 17 and a 20-year-old man who were arrested in connection with the incident, have since been released without charge.

Posted at11:5823 May

Ambulance staff to 'show support' at Pride

More than 80 staff, volunteers and students from West Midlands Ambulance Service are set to march in this weekend's Pride parade in Birmingham to "show support for the LGBT community".

A spokesperson said: "Attending this event enables the ambulance service to better represent the community that we serve and demonstrate the service as an employer that celebrates inclusivity and diversity within its workforce."

Ambulance service 'to rely less' on fast cars

West Midlands Ambulance Service says it's going to be relying less on motorbikes and response cars and more on traditional ambulances in the future.

Mark Docherty, its executive director of clinical commissioning, said: “We invested a lot in response cars, a lot of motorcycles and even bicycles. But what we found was that it was all well and good getting a paramedic there, but what do they then do with the patient?"

BBC

Mr Docherty said he also wanted more defibrillators "on every street corner", so that if someone suffered a cardiac arrest, they could get help quickly.

Posted at18:0521 May

Staying dry in the West Midlands

Alex Hamilton

BBC Weather

There's no end in sight for the dry weather over the next 24 hours, with more forecast tonight and tomorrow - here's the full report for the West Midlands:

Mountaineers climb artwork in Birmingham underpass

Members of the University of Birmingham Mountaineering and Climbing Club (UBMC) were asked to visit the William Mitchell artwork, underneath Hockley Circus, by a group which campaigns to promote and protect the city’s 20th Century architecture.

Brutiful Birmingham said the climbing wall murals, created in 1968, were largely forgotten and neglected.

UBMC members plan to alert other enthusiasts across the country. Only experienced climbers are advised to scale the artwork.

Mayor Andy Street said £5m worth of funding for his Beat the Bots initiative would be made available for colleges and training providers to deliver innovative digital training.

The fund, which he said was "our way to stay ahead", represented a chance to gain digital skills "which will prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future".

“Artificial intelligence, self-driving vehicles and robotics are getting better, and, in reality, it’s only a matter of time before real people will lose out to bots in the fight for jobs," he added.

The funding comes from the government’s National Retraining Scheme, and was announced by Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds in summer 2018, as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority's Skills Deal.

He had been pursued by West Midlands Police officers, but the Independent Office for Police Conduct said the chase had been "authorised, proportionate and carried out in accordance with local and national policy".

West Midlands Police

The IOPC also said: "The police officers drove a safe distance behind the stolen vehicle and ultimately it was the manner in which the Audi was driven which led to such tragic consequences."